1728 Scottish Ale -- Starter not starting?

Hey y'all. I wanted to brew a Wee Heavy this weekend, so I made two starters of 1728 on Monday night. I had two oldish (Jun 2013) 1728 smack packs, so in order to get proper pitching rates (yeastcalc), I made two one-gallon starters. I don't have a stir plate, so I shake every time I walk past the cupboard where I have them. The temp, btw, is ~65-70. Also, this is the first time I've used 1728. Anyway, my other starters always show signs of activity, especially when shaken (lots of gas release, lots of foam). These have shown none of that. It also looks like the yeast is still fairly suspended, so I'm not sure what to do. I had planned to stick them in the fridge today to cold crash and then decant before brew day (Saturday).

Anyone have similar issues with 1728?
Could be be that I just somehow missed the starter activity? (btw, there's no krausen crust along the top of the glass jugs)
Recommendations for how to proceed?

Thanks, everyone!

That yeast has been known to not show any kind of activity. When the starter is done, I'd recommend tasting it to make sure it's not sweet.

Take a gravity reading, just to be sure.

Here's an update, which should also help anyone who stumbles across this thread with a similar problem.

Took GuldTuborg's advice and took a gravity reading on the starter last night. That would be a full 3 DAYS after I made them. Result: nada, nothing, zip. Gravity had dropped but a hair, and the sample tasted pretty sweet.

I shook them up again and back under the counter they went.

When I woke up this morning, though, they were showing definite signs of activity, and even some krausen was forming. I shook them up and got a lot of gas and foam production. So . . .

Phew, it looks like they're finally getting to it. Moral of the story: patience, patience, patience -- especially with 5-month old 1728.

ngunsch said:

5-month old

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I think this is the key here. The age was a far greater player in your experience than the strain, I suspect. I use 1728 all the time, and it's never sluggish unless it's in the low 50s.

I'm planning a Wee Heavy this weekend as well, planning on starting a few packs tonight. I am hoping I don't get a similar situation and 48hrs will be enough for those guys to get going. Being right down the road from Wyeast, we usually get pretty recent packs.

What's your recipe for the Wee Heavy? Are you using crystal malts or doing the caramelization approach? Any Munich or aromatic? As you might tell, I'm still working on my recipe...

I was successful in growing a starter from Wyeast 1728 carbing yeast that I had to scrounge from a bottle of Highland Ale. It was slow, but it worked, and resulting ale tastes OK. The yeast was about 4 mo. old. That was first Wyeast smackpak I bought in Sept. '12, at $7. Yeah, won't see that price again!
Bought one a month ago....$10!!! Soooo, I made a DOUBLE-size starter, used half, glycerol-froze the other. Just thawed it, turned it into a huge batch, it's settling now, and will make 3 frozen batches. Check out the section on how to freeze using glycerol(glycerine), NOT GLYCOL. You can get it at WalMart, pharmacies. Must be food-grade.
The point is that at least one batch of yeast will ALWAYS be 1st. generation, never scrounged from sediment.

2bluewagons said:

I'm planning a Wee Heavy this weekend as well, planning on starting a few packs tonight. I am hoping I don't get a similar situation and 48hrs will be enough for those guys to get going. Being right down the road from Wyeast, we usually get pretty recent packs.

What's your recipe for the Wee Heavy? Are you using crystal malts or doing the caramelization approach? Any Munich or aromatic? As you might tell, I'm still working on my recipe...

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Well, I wish I could help, but I've been brewing extract for the past year after moving out of the city and still don't have all the equipment for all grain. This wee heavy is from NB. Used to go all grain gallon batches in my tiny NYC apartment, but never did a wee heavy. Hope your starter takes off more than mine!

Hey guys, another question. I have some gunk floating on the starter, but just in one of them. I have made enough beer to think that this isn't normal. But perhaps it is unique to this yeast, which I haven't used before? Here's a pic, but it's hard to make out due to the bubbly action. It kind of looks like spit or mucus.

Infected? If so, since I'm cold crashing and decanting, does it matter, or should decanting take care of it?

Is 1728 known to be a top cropping strain? Cause that's pretty much exactly how the Burton starter I pitched yesterday looked if I stopped it spinning for more than a few minutes. I'm betting its just thick yeast rafts.

I just wanted to inform OP that I am very thankful for the update provided (post #4). I have the EXACT same issue going on right now. 1728 strain isn't starting and it is 5 months old just like yours. Your post gives me hope for my starter!

Thanks!!

How did this turn out? Unfortunately for me, my batch ended up infected somehow.

I had similar with some old 1728. Saw virtually no activity and it didn't even smell like it had fermented anything. Piitched it anyway and it seems to have done enough to ferment my wee heavy to 9.5%. Too early to say whether it fought off any competition for infection though.